Primary 3-5

Sensorial Curriculum

The primary purpose of the sensorial curriculum is to help the child sort out impressions that are coming through the senses. Dr. Montessori felt that this curriculum accomplished this for the child in four ways:

• The design of the materials is to develop order, broaden and refine the senses.
• The materials are designed to develop the senses through exercises that gradually build from simple to complex perceptual challenges.
• The materials are designed to identify a single quality and allow the child to explore that quality.
• The materials enable the child to broaden his/her perception of the world through exploration of the materials. A child can use a material over and over again and hopefully, understand the quality and connect this quality to the prepared environment. {mospagebreak}

Introduction to Language

Excellent Montessori School’s language curriculum follows a basic Montessori language approach, utilizing preparatory lessons that are presented through the sensorial curriculum for reading and writing. The children are taught sounds and letter formations on an individual basis, through the use of sandpaper letters, metal insets, and movable alphabet, which allow the children to begin a journey into language on a kinesthetic level. As the children progress, they learn to blend sounds phonetically with “movable alphabets” and pictures to build and read simple words. The child begins to learn how to read by using the text and materials. In the use of the Montessori materials, he/she learns about the structure of the English language. For the young child, the spelling component breaks down both the motor and cognitive aspects of reading and writing. Each child learns specific sounds or spelling rules. Each child’s progress is closely monitored and is based on his or her abilities. The language curriculum extends to other areas of the prepared environment where children begin to label animals, plants, geometric shapes, maps, and more.

Spanish Language

An increasing number of people in the world speak Spanish as their first language. Included in those numbers are many of our own citizens and also those emerging nations that lie just south of our borders. The objective of our Spanish curriculum is to introduce our children to this increasingly predominant language that will enrich their understanding of language in general, and we believe that this exposure to and usage of the Spanish language gives our children tools that will help them to succeed in their future endeavors. The purpose of the Spanish program is to introduce students to a new language and culture and to start to develop communicative skills. The content includes developing skills in two major program areas: listening and speaking. At each level of learning, a student will work towards an increased proficiency in each of these two areas.

Mathematics

Excellent Montessori’s math curriculum is entirely based on concrete materials, which lead to abstraction by the child’s third year. The materials provide the child with visual, manipulative representations of mathematical concepts. The child is first introduced to the quantity, followed by a numerical symbol, then the association of quantity and symbol. At the child’s own pace, he/she will begin mathematical operations in order to develop their ability to think with exactitude and order.

Cultural and Scientific Studies

The importance of cultural studies cannot be emphasized enough. By learning about languages, clothing, food, and lifestyles of other cultures, we are broadening our children’s scope of world understanding. We are living in an increasingly diverse country, and it is imperative that our children gain an appreciation for and acceptance of ideas and traditions that may be very different from their own. This is when the generations can best learn to understand and accept one another.

Science

Scientific studies are as integral to the Montessori classroom as they are to everyday life. Montessori biology is structured in such a way as to give the child a means of classification so that he/she can structure and relate the facts of biology to our world. The ultimate goal is an ecological view of life and a feeling of responsibility for the environment. Activities in science revolve around inquiry.

Computer Science

The computer is rapidly becoming a household staple in our modern society. We believe in preparing our students on the operations and facilitating for the use of this amazing device. The Montessori curriculum provides the children with a strong foundation in visual, tactile, and auditory processing. If the child demonstrates readiness for computer technology, the opportunity will be available for exposure and advancement.

The Arts

At Excellent Montessori School, the arts must be as meaningful a part of the curriculum as mathematics and language are. We advocate teaching the arts because they provide young persons with a sense of civilization, they foster creativity, they teach effective communication and they provide tools for the critical assessment of what one sees, hears, feels, and reads, and experiences. At Excellent Montessori, we offer formal experiences for the child with music. Emphasis will be on the development of the child’s voice, singing in tune, and responding physically to music. Children will be encouraged to participate at their own level. An effective art curriculum provides a sequential program of instruction for all students. Every student deserves to learn about our common artistic heritage and develop a chance to add creative images to the world, expressing ideas and emotions that cannot happen with language alone. Students should also recognize how art interrelates to other curriculum areas and how world cultures have been shaped and influenced by the arts. Students should develop methods to evaluate the success and effectiveness of their own work, becoming responsible critics, and understand ways in which the arts contribute to contemporary life. Art should encourage curiosity and exploration of the basics, including reading and writing about artists as part of the other curriculum areas (e.g., history, social sciences, language, and math).

Socialization

Socialization plays an integral part throughout the Montessori curriculum. As opposed to the traditional method, Montessori encourages cooperative work and play. The children assist one another in lessons and are free to ask each other for ideas. The children work together or alone, on mats on the floor or at tables, and may move about the room freely as long as they respect the activities of others, and return the materials they use to their proper places. Workgroups are the growing trend in the modern workplace. When children are introduced to a cooperative effort at such a young age, they begin to prepare themselves for this kind of life experience. At Excellent Montessori School, children’s creativity is fostered through open sharing of abilities and ideas.

Discipline at Excellent Montessori School

The backdrop to all discipline techniques used is our conflict resolution process. The same process used by adults has been simplified for the children. Children are taught how to “use their words.” The purpose is to teach children to negotiate through language instead of hitting, biting, pushing, or name-calling.

The process has four steps:

1. Describe what happened. (“He hit me!”)
2. State how you feel when that happened. (“It hurt my arm” or “I don’t like it”)
3. What do you want to happen now?
4. What are you two going to do to solve this problem?

We teach the children the words to use, both the victim and the offender. It is important for both children to be involved so responsibility is taken and some sort of resolution is reached. The process begins with our 2 ½ year-olds.

Additionally, modeling of appropriate behavior by the staff is critical. Children are always spoken to respectfully and in a quiet or normal voice. Children are given choices when appropriate. Disputes that need adult help are mediated by a teacher at the “peace table.”

Children will be children, though. For example, if a child is being disruptive during circle time, he/she may be asked to find another place to sit. If still disruptive, the child may be invited to sit by the teacher, or the child may be invited to find a chair or quiet place to sit until his/her body is in control. If disruptive behavior continues, the teacher may take the child out to talk with him/her. The child may come to the office to visit with the Director. The discussion always centers around the quality of choices made, helping the child to see the consequences of their choice, and helping him/her to think of other options.

Inappropriate behavior is met with natural consequences. For example, if a child is throwing the work during work time, we will tell the child he/she may no longer use this piece of equipment for the rest of the day.